Page 115 of Bellamy

“Yeah, yeah.” Baxter rubbed at his arm, frowning at her. “No need to abuse me, Naida.”

“Then learn some goddamn manners,” she shot back. “Or I’ll do it again.”

“I need some fresh air,” Bellamy said before leaving the room. I followed him from the parlor, giving him space as he walked through the house and slipped out the back door onto the patio. He turned to me once we were outside. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”

“Don’t be.” I reached for his hand, and he expelled a breath as our palms slid together. “We both have notches on our bedposts. A lot of them. I mean, do I want to take a dagger and poke Baxter’s eyes out? Yes. But I won’t. Maybe.”

“That’s how I feel about Asa,” Bellamy whispered, tugging me against him. “I don’t want to kill him just because he’s our enemy. I want to because he’s known your touch. He’s heard your moans and tasted your kiss. And by the gods, I want to rip him to pieces. But he’s not here. It’s way worse for you.” His large body trembled. “You’re now surrounded by men I’ve been with. I hate it. I don’t want you to be upset. I just want—”

I silenced him with a kiss. He released a sexy little moan before deepening it.

“Nix,” he whispered against my lips before kissing them again.

“I love you calling me that.”

Bellamy gripped the side of my neck, thumb smoothing over the mark he’d placed there. “They might’ve had my body, but you’re the only one who’s ever had my heart.”

Emotion clogged my throat as I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in his comforting scent of bergamot. “You have mine too.”

***

The night before the battle, a fire burned in the pit behind the manor, the flames stretching toward the starry sky. The warriors drank, ate, and talked, some standing in smaller groups and others sitting around the fire.

“Easy,” Alastair said, putting a hand over the mug Raiden had tried to refill. “You’ve had enough.”

“Come on, Al,” Raiden whined, eyes glassy and the tops of his cheeks pink. The dude had passed “drunk” five mugs ago, which, given how it took alotfor him to get sloshed to begin with, was saying something. “Just one more.”

“That’s your sin talking.” Alastair took the mug from him and walked over to the table Clara had set up that held platters of food. He grabbed a container of cookies and handed it over. “Eat those. Soak up some of that alcohol.”

“You’re the best big brother ever,” Raiden said, instantly diving in for a chocolate chip cookie. “I mean it, Al. You can be grumpy and serious, but you always have our backs, ya know? Like you’re awesome.”

“And you’re drunk.” Alastair guided Raiden over to one of the chairs by the firepit. “Sit down and eat to your heart’s content.”

“Okay.” Raiden stared at the fire and shoved two whole cookies into his mouth at once.

Alastair approached me and Bellamy. “Gods help us all. Raiden is like a large child when drunk.”

Bellamy snorted. “Ray’s like a large child when sober too.”

“Y’all see what I’m seeing?” Castor asked, popping up between Bellamy and Alastair. “Titan can’t take his eyes off him.”

“Titan?” I asked. “Is that the one with the Winter Soldier arm?”

Castor gave an impressive nod. “I thought it looked more like a cyborg arm. But that works too. But anyway. Look at how he’s staring Ray down. To kill or fuck? My bet’s on fucking.”

All of us looked over. Titan stared at Raiden from across the firepit. His stoic expression gave nothing away. He seemed like a total hard-ass. The complete opposite of the Nephilim he couldn’t take his eyes off.

“Perhaps it’s gratitude? Raiden saved him.” Alastair took a sip from his wineglass. His pale eyes moved to me. “It was after you attacked us in the Caribbean.”

“Oh.” The twinge of guilt surprised me. Maybe because I felt closer to the Nephilim brothers now? I might not give a shit about humanity, but I guess there were a few people I no longer wanted to hurt. A small number… but still.

It was progress.

“That’s in the past, Al,” Bellamy said. He pressed his cheek to ear from behind, arms circling my waist. “Nix is with us now.”

That damn nickname would be the death of me. I loved how his smooth voice sounded while saying it.

“True.” Alastair nodded. “Yet, the facts remain. After the battle, Raiden searched for Titan for hours. He finally found him at the bottom of a pile of dead bodies. Titan’s arm was ripped off, and he was unconscious, barely clinging to life. We healed him to the best of our ability, and I placed him in a deep sleep to take the stress off his body as he continued to heal.”